Marine Coral
Reefs 101

The degrees of
complexity involving aquarium set up and maintenance are as follows;
Freshwater
FO (Fish
Only) aquarium, Heavily planted freshwater tank, Saltwater FO aquarium,
Fowler
(Fish Only With Live Rock) tank,followed
by what is inarguably the most expensive and time consuming
but may very well be the most rewarding of all, the Marine Coral Reef.
When you
rise to the level of a coral reef tank, you are no longer a
“fish keeper.” You
have created and are responsible for maintain a living, breathing
facsimile of
nature itself.

In recent years
nano-reef tanks have become increasingly popular with entry level and
intermediate saltwater aquarists who want to take the next step in
aquatic
ecosystems. There are many manufactures who offer prefab coral reef
kits designed
specifically to fill this expanding market. JBJ tanks, Oceanic Bio
Cubes,
Current USA, and Red Max are among the leading competitors in this
nano-niche. These
are extremely well thought out, all inclusive units, designed to meet
the needs
of aquarists looking for their first venture out into the world of
complex
ecosystems. There is a realistic possibility that these product lines
will be
added to our website in the not too distant future.

There are, of
course, pros and cons to trying to maintain a micro-ecosystem. They are
extremely cost effective. But any knowledgeable aquarium owner will
point to
water volume and fluctuating environmental parameters as their possible
downfall. The larger the
volume of water, the more stable water parameters remain. The identical
factors
that cause a minute fluctuation in a large aquarium’s water
parameters could
prove detrimental, even potentially devastating, in a nano-sphere. This
observation is blatantly obvious in the aquarium world and is in no way
meant
to deter the reader from investing in an entry level marine reef set
up.

Two factors of
utmost importance in the transition from a FO saltwater aquarium to a
marine
reef set up are salinity levels and lighting. Many saltwater fish will
thrive
in a specific gravity of 1.020-1.023. Most of the non-fish inhabitants
of
a
marine reef aquarium flourish best in slightly higher salinity levels.
A
specific gravity of 1.025 is considered ideal for most marine reef
creatures.
This slightly elevated salinity level will in no way prove harmful to
your
fish.

Marine
Reef
Lighting

The second
consideration is lighting. With a FO aquarium you can get away with
pretty much
any standard florescent tube assembly that comes stock on most aquarium
hoods. Whereas
lighting in a marine reef tank is paramount.
Not only do coral reef specimens require more light than saltwater
fish, that
light must simulate the light spectrum found in nature. A typical
fluorescent
hood light provides lighting only. It does not replicate the sunlight
necessary
to create and maintain a flourishing coral reef.

Metal Halide Lamps

Halide lighting
is, at the moment, the best solution available in marine lighting.
Halide
lighting is perfect for larger aquarium set ups. They do however
generate a
significant amount of heat. Many high-end coral reef systems have
chiiling units incorporated into them to compensate for heat emission.
Chilling
units
are rather costly. Halide lighting is not recommended for smaller reef
systems
unless that system was specifically designed to dissapate the heat from
halide lighting.

Fluorescent Lighting

High intensity fluorescents
are the preferred choice to provide adequate lighting in nano-reef
tanks. Fluorescent
lighting can be purchased in the same color spectrums as halide
lighting
systems. Fluorescents offer a cost effective lighting solution without
the heat
emission associated with their more expensive counterparts. Two popular
choices
in florescent lighting are T5 and T5HO. The main thing to look for when
choosing
a fluorescent lighting system is the incorporation of parabolic
reflectors. Florescent
tubes generate a fair amount of light on their own. But the addition
of a
good reflector system will increase the amount of light bouncing around
in your
aquarium exponentially.

Actinic Lighting

The color light spectrum is
measured in degrees of color temperature or Kelvins. Kelvin
ratings
between 10,000-20,000 are the most poplar in coral reef lighting. The
higher
the Kelvin rating, the bluer the color spectrum. Many home aquarists
prefer the
bluer end of the color spectrum. The “cooler”
lighting spectrum accentuates the
vivid color combinations found in a reef aquarium. Aquarists commonly
use a combination
of T5 and actinic lighting. Some use it in conjunction with each other
to produce
a fuller lighting spectrum while still having a blue ting to their
aquarium interior.
Others use T5 lighting during daylight hours and actinic lighting as a
transition between dusk in the real world and lights off in their
aquarium.

Triton
and Blue Moon Lighting

A new comer in the field
of aquarium lighting is Triton and
Blue Moon Fluorescents. Unlike T5 and actinic
lighting, these fluorescents where designed specifically for aquarium
use by Thorn
EMI and GE-Thorn in England. The manufacturers of
Triton lights claim
that these tubes supply the highest output of any fluorescent in use
for aquarium
lighting. These fluorescents have an estimated burn time of over 7,500
hours
with minimum light fall-off during the life expectancy of the tube. The
manufacturer
further states that Tritions are “watt for watt”
brighter than halide bulbs and generate twice the light
supplied
by T5 fluorescents.

Blue
Moon Lights are purported to provide superior lighting
and have double the estimated burn time of standard actinic
fluorescents. They simulate
the dramatic “Dusk to Dawn” look in an aquarium
previously only available in actinic
lighting.

Future
Lighting

LED
aquarium lighting is out of the price range of many
lower end marine reef enthusiasts. LEDs have only recently crossed over
into the field of aquarium lighting. Their price is still reflective of
a new
technology. Bear in mind: Not too long ago a 40 inch plasma TV set
commanded a
$20,000 price tag. Now you can purchase a brand new 55 inch Sony LED
flat
screen for under $1,200 dollars if you shop around. Within
this decade, LED lighting will probably
become the most cost effective and longest performing lighting system
available
for home aquarium use.

Tank-Breeding
Saltwater Species

In
recent decades tank-bred species have become more and
more commonplace. This is especially true in regards to breeding
saltwater fish
and marine reef specimens. This is a good thing. Until tank breeding
started
becoming prevalent, all saltwater fish were taken from the wild to
support the
hobby fish trade. The fatality rate of saltwater fish is much higher
than that
of freshwater species. Many of these species succumb to malnutrition
when
introduced to a home aquarium simply because they do not recognize food
offerings as a source of nutrition. Some species are notorious for
starving to
death rather than adapting to their new surroundings. Among these is
the
Moorish Idol. Then there is the ecological impact of harvesting fish
from the
wild for human consumption, whether that consumption is as a food
product or
for the saltwater aquarium industry. Seahorses are a prime example of
the devastating ecological ramifications resulting
from
human consumption.

Seahorses
have been procured by Chinese
herbologists for their purported healing qualities for centuries.
Native
populations throughout Indonesia and the Central
Philippines also use
seahorses as a component in herbalistic medicines. It is
estimated that
up to 20 million seahorses a year are harvested to support this
thriving
industry. Over fishing has driven seahorse populations to the verge of
becoming
endangered species. The common seahorse is currently listed as a vulnerable
species by CITES (theConvention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,
also
known as theWashington Convention). CITES has
regulated
the import and export of seahorses in this region of the world since
2004.
Unfortunately Indonesia,
Japan and South
Korea
do not recognize the trade rules put in place by the Washington
Convention.

Seahorses
are notorious for refusing to accept nonliving food
offerings. Some
saltwater aquarium owners are never able to wean their seahorses off of
live
food. Many tank-bread seahorses are raised on nonliving food items.
This makes
the success rate of keeping them alive and healthy in a home aquarium
much higher
than
those caught in the wild. Most websites will tell you if their
seahorses were
raised on standard marine aquarium fare.
The
same applies to virtually any saltwater species that has been
successfully tank-bred. A fish that is born into an aquarium
environment is not
subjected to the trauma of being yanked out of its natural habitat. It
is
always preferable to buy a tank-bread species over one that has been
caught in
the wild.

It should be noted that
tank-breeding saltwater fish and marine reef specimens is a relatively
new
practice within the aquarium industry. It has only been in the past few
decades
that tank breeding has been seriously looked at as a means to supply
the fish
hobby trade. A few saltwater fish take readily to spawning in home
aquariums.
Both gobies and seahorses do not appear to let life in an aquarium
interfere with
the breeding process. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most
saltwater
species. Even in the spacious surroundings of public aquariums, the
breeding of
some saltwater species is unheard of. Perhaps it is that despite our
best
efforts to mimic their natural environment, certain fish instinctively
realize that
they are no longer in their native breeding grounds. The
confines
of an
aquarium have
proven even more counterproductive to successful breeding programs.
Attempts to
inducing spawning in many species have failed
miserably. This is why mated, breeding pairs
command such a hefty price tag among high-end saltwater aficionados.
Depending
on the species in question, a breeding couple can be worth almost their
weight
in
gold. Their tank born offspring also fetch a pretty price because tank
bred
species have a much lower mortality rate and are far more likely to
breed as adults.